Preview: Brisbane Roar v Newcastle Jets

With both sides missing a host of key personnel, this crucial contest shapes up as one that could go either way.

The two sides have a total of seven players away on international duty, meaning two relatively inexperienced sides will line up at A.J. Kelly Field.

The Roar will be without hugely influential trio Tameka Butt, Katrina Gorry and Clare Polkinghorne, as well as newly-arrived New Zealand international midfielder Kirsty Yallop.

Newcastle, meanwhile, will have to make do without Chloe Logarzo, Tara Andrews and Georgia Yeoman-Dale. The Jets, however, will be enjoying the fact that they have three call-ups to the national team ranks, which harks back to the glory days when superstar trio Cheryl Salisbury, Kate Gill and Jo Peters were among the first names pencilled onto the Westfield Matildas’ teamsheet.

Yet both sides will be eyeing this match as a big chance for three points and the opportunity to try and free themselves from a dense logjam in the middle of the table.

Both teams entered the weekend second-from-bottom, yet just a win away from second spot, such is the tight nature of this season’s Westfield W-League.

While both sit on six points, the Roar have lost three of their five matches, yet the Jets have tasted defeat just once.

Newcastle also boast the best defence in the league conceding just three goals though, notably, all have come from set-pieces.

In attack, Rhali Dobson is hopefully of making an unexpected appearance after being cleared of serious injury, despite coming off in some discomfort in the dying minutes of last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Adelaide United.